In this unit, students begin to explore African-American history and the civil rights movement by studying Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and their influence on the nation. Students will begin the unit by thinking about the ways in which people are similar and different, including skin color, and how those differences should not define who we are or how we are treated. In the second part of the unit, students will learn about the discrimination and injustices faced by African-Americans during the civil rights movement and why it was necessary to fight for change. Finally, students will explore Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and study how their influential leadership drove the civil rights movement and influenced and inspired others to fight for change. It is our hope that this unit will help instill the values of diversity and fairness, and that it will serve as a launch for further discussions around discrimination, fairness, and valuing individuals. This unit also falls during the month of February. Therefore, it will give students a chance to explore and deepen their understanding of Black History Month and why studying and celebrating black history is an important part of our nation's history.

In reading, this unit exposes students to the genre of biography. For each influential leader, students will read multiple biographies, noticing the ways in which authors use specific details to support points in a text. Students will also be pushed to think about which details are key details, how details are connected, how illustrations connect to particular points and ideas in a text, and the meaning of unfamiliar words. After reading multiple biographies, students will then compare and contrast the ways in which the authors present points in both texts. Students will also be challenged to think about the themes that develop across the biographies, particularly in regards to what makes the person an influential leader and the lessons that can be learned from studying each person.

In writing, this unit pushes students to begin answering questions using words and sentences, and, therefore, rely less on picture support. Students will also continue to work on answering the question and including an inference or critical thinking that shows a deeper understanding of the text. At this point, all structure focus correction areas should be taught; therefore, the focus of this unit should be on providing individualized feedback to students who are not at a 3 or 4 on the rubric.

This is designed originally as a Google HyperDoc and it is recommended that teachers copy the HyperDoc and adapt it as needed to suit their needs. The lesson follows the Engage, Explore, Explain, Apply, and Reflect learning structure and links to various other resources. Here are links to various resources used in this activity including models:Inverences Activity: Choice OptionInferences Activity: Unwind OptionModel: Inference and Conclusion Part OneModel: Inference and Conclusion Part Two

In this science/history-based unit, students learn about the history of the earth by studying fossils and dinosaurs. In the first part of the unit, students learn about how fossils are formed and how paleontologists study fossils in order to learn about ancient history. In the second part of the unit, students study what makes dinosaurs unique and fascinating creatures by learning about various species of dinosaurs and how they adapted in order to meet their basic needs for survival. Students will also be challenged to think about what earth was like at the time of the dinosaurs and how learning about dinosaurs helps them better understand the earth's history. In the last part of the unit, students read a collection of fiction texts, each with a unique perspective on what happened to the dinosaurs and if dinosaurs really are extinct. In this part of the unit, students should be pushed to use what they have learned from the informational texts in order to confirm or deny the statements the author makes in the fiction texts.

In reading, this unit exposes students to both informational and fiction texts. When reading informational texts, students will focus on explaining the connection between two or more pieces of information in a text, particularly in regard to retelling how fossils are formed or how scientists uncover fossils. Students will also be pushed to describe the relationship between the illustrations and the text in which they appear, specifically describing what new or additional information they learn from reading the illustrations. Additionally, students will continue to practice determining the main topic of a text and asking and answering questions about unknown words. When reading fiction texts, students will focus on retelling the story and making connections between the story and the facts they've learned from the informational texts.

In writing, students will continue to write daily in response to the text. Written responses should focus on including an inference or critical thinking that shows understanding of the text and/or question and on using more words than pictures to communicate the answer to a question. This unit also includes two longer writing assignments: one research writing assignment and one narrative writing assignment.

This video is part of the Learn and Grow with WHRO TV series. Watch Alystra Barefoot teach about making inferences.

In this activity students will use methods of collecting data, other than visual, to determine the contents of a small sealed box. They will make connections between this procedure and the procedures scientists use to study evolutionary theory. This activity has been specifically adapted to align with the high school biology standards to explore the limitations of studying the fossil record in a hands-on way.

In this lab activity students will try to develop methods of collecting data, other than visual, by trying to determine the contents of several small boxes. They will make connections between this procedure and the procedures scientists used to develop the modern model of the atom.

In this lab activity students will try to develop methods of collecting data, other than visual, by trying to determine the contents of several small boxes. They will make connections between this procedure and the procedures scientists used to develop the modern model of the atom.

I created this game to give my students practice with making inferences. Students will use prior knowledge along with the clues given to infer what is happening in each picture. This is a fun and engaging activity to help students better understand how we make inferences. I would use this activity after introducing making inferences to my students. This will help to lay a stronger foundation of the skill before learning to apply inference making during the reading process. This game is similar to the popular Pictionary game. This is an engaging activity to practice SOL 4.5h.

As 4th grade students have been learning about weather in science, this lesson integrates the content of weather phenomena (tornados) as well as the reading strategy of reading the author’s words and determining whether the information is directly stated (right there) or inferred based on clues from the author’s words.